Ice T

Detective Odafin Tutuola

Ice T returns for his 14th season on NBC's "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" as Detective Fin Tutuola. This is his fourth project with executive producer Dick Wolf after the 1997 - 98 series "Players," NBC's "Exiled: A Law & Order Movie," and several memorable guest-starring appearances on Wolf's gritty cop series "New York Undercover."

Through his music, his books and his lecture tours at colleges including Harvard, Princeton and Stanford, Ice T has become a cultural icon recognized the world over.

Born in New Jersey, Ice T quickly learned the art of survival. As an only child whose parents died when he was very young, Ice T became involved in Los Angeles gangs before spending four years in the army. His first break came when the producers of the film "Breakin'" asked him to rap in the movie. He went on to become rap music's original gangster, writing songs like "Six in the Mornin'" and "New Jack Hustler."

Ice T formed Rhyme Syndicate Records in 1989 and released a string of groundbreaking West Coast rap records. He subsequently formed the thrash metal band Body Count with close high school friend and guitarist Ernie C. Body Count's 1991 self-titled debut contained the controversial single "Cop Killer." Body Count was the most critically acclaimed act on the highly successful 1991 Lollapalooza tour and continued to tour worldwide. Ice T received a Grammy Award and was voted Best Male Rapper in Rolling Stone's 1992 Readers Poll.

As his politics were grabbing headlines, Ice T's film and television career was taking off. The controversial personality secured roles in "New Jack City," "Ricochet," "Trespass" and "Johnny Mnemonic," all while building a flourishing television career. He has numerous independent and documentary film roles to his credit and most recently starred in the popular E! reality series "Ice Loves Coco."

As an artist, his reach has crossed from music into film, television and interactive media. He recently directed the critically acclaimed documentary "Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap," which features interviews with some of the greatest rappers of all time and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. He produced "The Peacemaker," a reality show for A&E centered on gang mediator Malik Spellman, and the documentary "Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp," which premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. A passionate gamer, Ice T voiced the character of Griffin in the Xbox 360 game "Gears of War 3."

As an author, Ice T wrote "The Ice Opinion" in 1994 and his widely acclaimed 2011 memoir "Ice: A Memoir of Gangster Life and Redemption - from South Central to Hollywood." In May, he published "Mirror Image," the sequel to his 2012 novel, "Kings of Vice."

Ice T resides in New Jersey with his wife Coco and their dogs, Spartacus and Maximus. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/FINALLEVEL.